Library

Earth Science Reference Page

Looking for an environmental career?

The purpose of this site is to offer ideas to high school students about the wide variety of environmental careers available today. The information found below is intended to guide the student to sites which discuss the different careers and to sites which offer examples of the kind of work someone in those careers might do.

Check out this site for advice to young people interested in earth science careers that was written by:

           Joanne Simpson, 1999
           Chief Scientist for Meteorology
           NASA/GSFC, Earth Sciences Directorate
           http://esdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ESD/ESDadvice.html

AND:

         "Work Green/Earn Green"  - http://www.dol.gov/dol/opa/public/media/press/opa/opa2000116.htm
         "You can work green . . . and earn green. Environmental jobs are in demand, and with so many different types of jobs,
         there's one for almost anyone interested in having Mother Earth for a boss." That's the message from U.S. Labor
        Secretary Alexis M. Herman who is using the first Earth Day of the new millennium to shine a spotlight on environmental
        jobs. This site describes a variety of jobs with education requirements from advanced degrees to those requiring only a
        high school diploma and an associates degree.
 

What kind of environmental career is best for you?


The following websites offer a means of comparing your personal interests to environmental (and other) careers:

    Environmental Careers - http://www.careernet.state.md.us/ExploreCareers.htm
        This site has links to many different self assessment tests to help you determine what career would be best for you.

    Environmental Jobs - http://www.ecoemploy.com
        This site has listing of jobs in the US and Canada. Additionally, it has pages that discuss student summer employment
        and student internships. For information for students on environmental career planning see:
        http://www.ecoemploy.com/career.html
 

Need information about student employment and internships?

Check the following:

For a description of what an internship is, see: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/8974/env7.htm#about  This site has a number of links to sites offering internships, tips on applying and other good information.

Student Educational Employment - http://www.studentjobs.gov  This site is maintained by the United States Department of Personel Management and contains very useful information about internships and summer jobs. Click on the buttons for "Student Education Employment" "Summer Employment" and "Student Internships" for more information about these topics.
 


 
 

Check these sites for career listings, descriptions, and sites that discuss what you can expect to do in some of the environmental careers.


    Occupational Outlook Handbook - http://www.bls.gov/oco/
        Occupational Outlook Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, training and education
        needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

    USGS Home Page - http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/
        The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information  to: describe and understand the Earth; minimize
        loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and
        protect our quality of life.

   Environmental Careers Organization - http://www.eco.org/
        Check out the career services section here for information on available internships, and a helpful hints section about
        internships; what they are, the requirements, etc.

   Atmospheric Science Careers - http://www.nwas.org/links/careers.html
        Check this site for many links to information on weather related jobs, student career employment programs,
        Air Force and Navy weather careers, listings of careers and schools offering education in meteorology.

   Career Guide for Atmospheric Sciences - http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS/atmoscareers/index.html
        This site discusses four categories of jobs in applied meteorology-nonmedia; non-university research; university teaching
        and research; and media weathercasting.

    Storm Chaser and related links - http://courseweb.lis.uiuc.edu/~bounds/storm_chasers.htm
        A storm chaser is defined as a person who pursues imminent or existing severe thunderstorm activity, for whatever
        reason, and operates independently or as part of a research effort. Be aware that only those working for the government
        or university scientists, video crews, and film crews are paid to do this.

   National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fgovsci.html
        NIOSH is a diverse organization made up of people representing a wide range of disciplines including industrial
        hygiene, nursing, epidemiology, engineering, medicine, and statistics. NIOSH is responsible for conducting research on
        the full scope of occupational disease and injury ranging from lung disease in miners to carpal tunnel syndrome in
        computer users.

   Earth Sciences Portal -
    http://webserv.gsfc.nasa.gov/ESD/portal/General_Information/Employment_Opportunities/indexpf.html
        This site is hosted by the Goddard Space Institute and contains numerous links to sites describing ongoing research in
        earth science, atmospheric and climate studies, biospherics, and hydrospherics.

   National Science Foundation - http://www.nsf.gov/
        In general use, the term "earth science" often includes the study of the earth's atmosphere (meteorology or atmospheric
        science), the water flowing on and beneath the surface of continents (hydrology), and the earth's seas and ocean
        (oceanography or ocean sciences). This is a huge site - click on "Site Map" on the upper right side of the page and look
        for the listings under "Directorates" for information on different areas of the sciences.

   Career Opportunities in Water Resources - http://www.uwin.siu.edu/ucowr/Careers/
        This site is hosted by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Check out the "Areas of Employment" link here.

   USACE Engineer Research and Development Center - http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/welcome/welcome.html
        The mission of the USACE is to gain knowledge of cold regions through scientific and engineering research and put that
        knowledge to work for the Corps of Engineers, the Army, the Department of Defense, and the Nation. Their work
        includes an amazing array of topic areas, including engineering and technology in cold regions, seismic-acoustic physics,
        tools for military combat and survival in cold weather, and many others.

   Newton BBS - http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/
        Sponsored by the Argonne National Laboratory, this site has the "ask a scientist" feature that allows the students or their
        instructors to ask science questions about earth science topics. Click on the "Ask a scientist" link to ask a question or
        click on the "Ask a scientist archives" for information on environmental earth science topics. (Just for fun, on the main
        page, check out the "Division of Educational Programs" link and click on the "Rube Goldberg Machine Contest" link in
        the menu on the left side for a contest for wacky machines.)
 
 

created by:  Karen Bounds
for:  LIS424LE
updated:  October 22, 2002